Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Steve Battlemuch – on leave

Sajeeda Rose

None.

Minutes of the meetings held on 5 July, 12 July, 16 July, 25 July, 26 July and 2 August

With the addition of the date of the meeting to the minutes of 16 July, the minutes of the meeting held on 5 July, 12 July, 16 July, 25 July and 2 August 2024 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Report of the Chief Executive

Lee Mann, Strategic Director of HR and EDI, presented the report proposing the addition of a new fixed term post to the Council’s senior structure that will lead on Transformation and Change. Additional senior capacity is now required given the Council’s position to lead on the Transformation and Change agenda, which will be increasingly critical to delivering a revised budget strategy and the Council’s Improvement Plan.

The following points were raised in discussion:

(a)  recruitment for a 2-year fixed term is welcomed due to the Council’s current focus on transformation;

(b)  the role will be recruited internally initially, with external recruitment only being used if there is no interest or if internal recruitment is unsuccessful. This was welcomed as it invests in the existing workforce;

(c)  IT is included in the role as there is synergy between IT, customer services and transformation. This will also free up time for senior finance officers to focus on finance;

(d)  There are a number of vacancies in senior roles at the Council, with interim arrangements in place. These need to be filled as soon as possible and this process will begin in the new year.

Resolved to

(1)  approve the proposal to create an additional, two-year fixed term, Strategic Director of Transformation and Change within the Council’s structure, which will also provide leadership and oversight for the Customer Services and IT functions as key enabling services;

(2)  note that as an interim arrangement, the proposed Strategic Director of Transformation and Change will report to the Chief Executive alongside the Director of Legal and Governance and Strategic Director of HR and Equality and Diversity and Inclusion prior to options for a permanent management structure being presented to the Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee for consideration and approval.

To consider excluding the public from the meeting during consideration of the remaining items in accordance with Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, under Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraphs 1 and 2, on the basis that, having regard to all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining an exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information

The Committee decided to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the remaining agenda item in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the basis that, having regard to all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

Exempt minutes of the meetings held on 12 July, 26 July and 2 August

The exempt  minutes of the meeting held on 12 July, 26 July and 2 August 2024 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.